Chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia

Other Common Name(s):

Red Chokeberry

Previously known as:

Pyrus arbutifolis and Photinia pyrifolia
Sorbus arbutifolia

Phonetic Spelling

ar-OH-nee-ah ar-bew-tih-FOH-lee-ah

Description

Aronia arbutifolia, commonly called red chokeberry, is a deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub that is native to both wet and dry thickets in Eastern North America (Nova Scotia and Ontario to Ohio south to Texas and Florida). It typically grows in a vase-shaped form to 6-10’ tall and to 3-6' wide but tends to sucker and form colonies. The plant has a stiff, upright habit with a vase shape. It has a fibrous root system and spreads by suckers. An easy transplant. It is best used in a mass planting as it tends to become leggy with age. The Red Chokeberry is easily grown in average, medium moisture soils. It has a wide range of soil tolerance, including boggy soils. Remove root suckers to prevent colonial spread.

Fire Risk: This plant has a low flammability rating.

History of Name: The common name is in reference to the tart and bitter berries which are technically edible but are so astringent as to cause choking in those who try.

Regions: Mountain, Piedmont, Coastal Plains

Seasons of Interest:

Leaf: Fall Blooms: Spring Nut/Fruit/Seed: Fall

Wildlife Value: This plant has little resistance to damage from deer. Its fruits are eaten by mammals and birds.

Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: This plant has some susceptibility to leaf spots and twig/fruit blight.

Cultivars / Varieties:

'Brilliantissima'
salt tolerant
'Erect'

Tags:

#red #white #pink #sun #showy flowers #deciduous #fall color #birds #full sun #partial shade #rain garden #drought tolerant #white flowers #shrub #red berries #pink flowers #tree #red leaves #boggy #winter interest #fall interest #mass planting #playground #mammals #wet sites #low flammability #dry soil tolerant #thickets #children's garden #native garden #fire resistant #naturalizes

Aronia arbutifolia — Berries Mr T In DC CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' — Form Andrey Zharkikh CC BY 2.0

Cultivars / Varieties:

'Brilliantissima'
salt tolerant
'Erect'

Tags:

Attributes:
Genus:

Aronia

Species:

arbutifolia

Family:

Rosaceae

Country Or Region Of Origin:

Eastern North America

Fire Risk Rating:

low flammability

Wildlife Value:

This plant has little resistance to damage from deer. Its fruits are eaten by mammals and birds.

Play Value:

Wildlife Food Source

Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):

tfire in the landscape. Tolerates a range of soil types (wet, dry), transplant

Edibility:

Berries, but bitter and astringent (the common name is in reference to the tart and bitter berries which are technically edible but are so astringent as to cause choking in those who try). The fruits are sometimes used to make tasty jams and jellies.

Dimensions:

Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.

Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.

Whole Plant Traits:
Plant Type:

Edible

Native Plant

Shrub

Tree

Leaf Characteristics:

Deciduous

Habit/Form:

Erect

Multi-stemmed

Multi-trunked

Open

Rounded

Spreading

Vase

Growth Rate:

Slow

Texture:

Medium

Cultural Conditions:
Light:

Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)

Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Soil Drainage:

Frequent Standing Water

Good Drainage

Moist

Occasionally Dry

Very Dry

NC Region:

Coastal

Mountains

Piedmont

Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:

6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

Fruit:
Fruit Color:

Red/Burgundy

Fruit Value To Gardener:

Edible

Display/Harvest Time:

Fall

Summer

Winter

Fruit Type:

Berry

Pome

Fruit Length:

< 1 inch

Fruit Width:

< 1 inch

Fruit Description:

Its red berries last into the winter. The flowers are followed by abundant glossy red fruits (1/4” diameter) which appear in dense clusters along the branches. The fruits ripen in late summer and persist on the shrub throughout fall and well into winter. The best fruit production occurs in a full sun site. The fruits are sometimes used to make tasty jams and jellies. The fruit has an astringent taste that birds do not prefer.

Flowers:
Flower Color:

Pink

White

Flower Inflorescence:

Corymb

Flower Bloom Time:

Spring

Flower Petals:

4-5 petals/rays

Flower Size:

< 1 inch

Flower Description:

This plant has white flowers in spring. The Red Chokeberry has clusters (corymbs) of white to light pink, 5-petaled flowers (1/3”diameter) that appear in spring.

Leaves:
Leaf Characteristics:

Deciduous

Leaf Color:

Gold/Yellow

Gray/Silver

Green

Purple/Lavender

Leaf Feel:

Glossy

Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:

Orange

Pink

Red/Burgundy

Leaf Shape:

Elliptical

Oblong

Obovate

Hairs Present:

No

Leaf Length:

3-6 inches

Leaf Description:

The Red Chokeberry has elliptic to oblong to obovate leaves (to 3 1/2” long) that are a glossy dark green above and pubescent grayish-green beneath. The foliage turns bright red in autumn and compares favorably with burning bush (Euonymus alatus) for excellence of fall color.

Stem:
Stem Is Aromatic:

No

Landscape:
Landscape Location:

Recreational Play Area

Landscape Theme:

Children's Garden

Native Garden

Rain Garden

Winter Garden

Design Feature:

Mass Planting

Attracts:

Small Mammals

Songbirds

Resistance To Challenges:

Dry Soil

Fire

Wet Soil